Backs must start bossing the pack, says Barkley

As the England head coach, Brian Ashton, and his management team today ruminate over whom to take to the World Cup, they will reflect on two friendlies this month that have seen a reversal of the strengths and weaknesses of this year's Six Nation's campaign.

England's defeats in the championship in Dublin and Cardiff were characterised by a stark lack of set-piece proficiency, while the victory over France at Twickenham was fashioned by derring-do behind the scrum, where the outside-half Toby Flood, and his replacement Shane Geraghty, showed a willingness to run from deep and an ability to puncture defences.

Geraghty was released from England's preliminary World Cup squad last month, while Flood's stock has plummeted, despite concerns over Charlie Hodgson's fitness. Flood's role this month has been as a blood replacement for Andy Farrell against Wales, and it was surely no coincidence then that during his short time on the field the men in white put together their one back move of note. On Saturday Olly Barkley, who played all last season at inside-centre, was given the No10 jersey.

England dominated the set-pieces here against France, as they had against Wales, but this time failed to boss the breakdown and their surfeit of possession was not translated into a try. Overlaps were again squandered, handling was suspect, runs were not timed properly and on occasions there was a lack of understanding. The French defence was rarely put to the test and it was a prop, Phil Vickery, who came closest to scoring a try.

Flood's demise seems less tactical than a consequence of how training has gone in the past seven weeks, when judgment is made on more than playing ability, but, while England's lineout and scrum have profited significantly from the return of Mark Regan, Andrew Sheridan and Simon Shaw, the instinct of Flood and Geraghty has been replaced by a more structured approach, one based on territory. On the few occasions the French defence was punctured, England's lack of a specialist open-side flanker told and they too often surrendered possession.

It was an afternoon when most of the forwards were playing for a place in England's starting line-up in the key group match against South Africa, while the majority of the backs could look no further ahead than making the 30-strong squad, but, as the French captain Raphael Ibanez pointed out, if the holders are to muster any sort of defence of their trophy, they will need exploit the ball-winning capacity of their forwards.

"Our attacking play was too narrow," said Barkley. "We were only spreading play 30 or 40 metres rather than using the whole width of the pitch. It meant we were not running into holes and, as backs, we have to boss the forwards around a lot more. The pack has worked extremely hard in the two matches this month and has provided a lot of possession, but the backs have to control them more to control a game."

Barkley admitted he was surprised to be given a chance at outside-half, only his second start in the position for England in three years. "When others were given a chance in the position earlier this year, I did not feel I had dropped down the pecking order because I was playing in the centre and did not think I was in contention at 10. I first had an inkling that was changing a few weeks ago when I was used there in training."

Like Barkley, the Newcastle centre Jamie Noon, a fixture in the England squad since the last World Cup, will not be counting down the hours until the announcement of the squad. "I have changed in the last couple of years thanks to Steve Black (the Falcons' conditioning coach) and am more relaxed now," said Noon. "I used to be a worrier, trying to read into what coaches were thinking and writing everything down, but my attitude against France was that my destiny was in my own hands and it was up to me to seize the day."

Noon left his mark on the French midfield with some thumping tackles and, in a position where he is being challenged by Dan Hipkiss, Mathew Tait and, possibly, Mike Tindall, provided some of England's few attacking moments of note. "I was bitterly disappointed to be left out of the squad four years ago and I feel that since then I have proved myself a player of international quality," he said. "I believe I should be in the squad, but there is no more I can do now."